football.co.uk web
skip to content
Man City far too strong for a very below par Birmingham
Antoine Sibierski converts the penalty powerfully
Antoine Sibierski goes down after a challenge by Darren Cater
Bradley Wright-Phillips replaces the outstanding Robbie Fowler
Richard Dunne heads home a Robbie Fowler free kick after losing his marker
Maik Taylor struggles to gather the resulting corner and is lucky to get away without conceding a second
Shaun Wright-Phillips charges down the right but a good challenge by Matthew Upson concedes the corner
Walter Gerardo Pandiani replaces Darren Anderton as Birmingham push for an equaliser
Stan Lazaridis knocks the ball out for a Man City corner
Robbie Fowler heads a chance onto the roof of the Birmingham net after Joey Barton and Antoine Sibierski linked up well
Emile Heskey misses another chance after good work by Robbie Blake down the left
Mario Melchiot breaks up another Man City attack which was looking very dangerous
Stephen Clemence replaced by Robbie Blake
Good posseion for Birmingham broken up by Claudio Reyna
Jermaine Pennant's shot shaves the top of the bar with the goalkeeper beaten
Robbie Fowler leaps well between two defenders to head home the opener
Good work from Jermaine Pennant and Darren Anderton results in a chance for Emile Heskey who failed to coonect with the cross
Mario Melchiot blocks a Kiki Musampa cross and the ball goes out for a corner kick
Clinton Morrison caught off-side for Birmingham
Goal-less at the break with few chances for either side
Antoine Sibierski flicks the ball on looking for Shaun Wright-Phillips but Maik Taylor collects the ball easily
Shaun Wright-Phillips's cross is cut out by Mario Melchiot
Stan Lazaridis replaces Jamie Clapham who has had to go of injured
Mario Melchiot sets up Emile Heskey whos's powerful shot flies over the Man City bar
Richard Dunne brings down Clinton Morrison to give Birmingham a free kick on the left hand side
Great diagonal ball from Mario Melchiot finds Jermaine Pennant who's cross is dissapointing
Stephen Jordan's cross again to long resulting in a Birmingham goal kick
Antoine Sibierski shot deflects wide for a corner to Man City
Sylvain Distin concedes a corner with a strong challenge on Jermaine Pennant
Joey Barton tries to play in Shaun Wright-Phillips but a good challenge by Jamie Clapham brings the attack to a stop
Jermaine Pennant's cross is too strong and drifts out of play for a goal kick
David James fumbled a strong free-kick from Darren Anderton and Emile Heskey failed to convert the rebound
Jermaine Pennant takes a free kick from the right into the box which was cleared by Antoine Sibierski
Kiki Musampa plays a through ball for Antoine Sibierski ehich was easily cut out
Clinton Morrison fouled by Richard Dunne
Claudio Reyna plays a dangerous free kick into the box but Shaun Wright-Phillips fails to stay on side
Shaun Wright-Phillips blasts over the bar after Robbie Fowler's shot came back of the post
An unfortunate own goal from Birmingham City keeper Maik Taylor provided a moment of fortune for Manchester City as their victory keeps alive their slender hopes of winning a UEFA cup place. The Northern Ireland international was unlucky to see Robbie Fowler's 55th minute header strike the upright and rebound into the net off his body. Fowler was decidedly unlucky not to be credited with what would have been his 11th goal of the season as he played a key role in its creation. The striker sprayed a lovely ball out to the left for Kiki Musampa, whose precise cross was met by Fowler, whose powerful header struck the upright and rebounded into the net off the hapless keeper. Fowler was initially credited with the goal but it was later amended to Taylor. Until the goal there had been a distinct end of season flavour to this clash involving two mid-table teams. But the goal brought the City of Manchester Stadium to life and sparked a lively last half hour in which Richard Dunne and Antoine Sibierski added further goals for City. City ought to have taken a first minute lead when Shaun Wright-Phillips blazed over the crossbar from four yards after Fowler's shot came back off the upright. That was as near as City came to a goal in a lacklustre opening 45 minutes. Indeed, Birmingham has a couple of decent efforts, notably a free-kick from Darren Anderton which goalkeeper David James parried, with Clinton Morrison firing the rebound narrowly wide. Birmingham discovered how cruel football can be when within a minute of having a Morrison goal ruled out for offside, City took the lead through their lucky strike. And not long after City had taken the lead Jermaine Pennant came within inches of equalizes as his free-kick clipped the top of the crossbar. Birmingham threw on forwards Robbie Blake and Walter Pandiani in the last quarter in a bid to conjure an equalizer. City doubled their lead in the 80th minute when Dunne headed home a Fowler free-kick for only the second goal of his career. Ironically the only other one was also against Birmingham. City added a third and clinching goal in the 86th minute through a Sibierski penalty which was awarded for a handball against Morrison.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
advertisement
football.co.uk